Giannis' latest quote should not be taken as disrespect for Jayson Tatum

Every year, the NBA season is plagued by rankings talk. Be it teams or players, fans and media alike spread their versions of the rankings to the world. Even players are asked who they think the best teams and best players in the league are, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was last.

The Milwaukee Bucks star was recently asked a few questions by Complex Sports, one of which was, “Who is the best player in the NBA?” His answer? Jaylen Brown. “I think the best player is the one who wins the championship, wins everything and is the best player on the team,” Antetokounmpo said. “So, the best player in the NBA, I would probably say Jaylen Brown. Because you can't have your best player if you're on a team that hasn't won. It doesn't matter if you're MVP or All-NBA. If you don’t make your team win, you’re not the best.”

Celtics fans immediately rose to their feet in defense of Jayson Tatum. But they shouldn't.

This isn't the first time Antetokounmpo has been asked this question. And every time he's asked, he takes the same stance: The best player on the best team is the best player in the NBA.

In this case, the Celtics won the title last year and Brown was the NBA Finals MVP. That’s what makes him the best player in Antetokounmpo’s eyes. It's that simple.

Is there a chance Antetokounmpo is trying to take out Jason Kidd and create a divisive force between Tatum and Brown? Perhaps. However, based on the way he has answered this question in the past, this doesn't seem likely.

The Bucks star didn't make a name for himself by talking trash and shaming players in the media. That's not usually his style. This attitude towards Brown does not seem malicious in any way.

Regardless, even if Antetokounmpo tried to be rude and take a shot at the Celtics, they wouldn't care.

While their names were repeatedly thrown into the fire by the media, the Celtics' focus remained on themselves. They don't care what the outside world has to say. All they care about is improving.

Brown had a fantastic playoff run and was named Finals MVP. But Tatum was great too. He didn't shoot the ball well, but was outstanding in all other parts of the game.

Hearing Antetokounmpo say that Brown is the Celtics' best player isn't a crazy new take. Kidd tried to get into Boston's head during the finale. But this is different.

When Kidd said it, it felt like a direct attempt to create a divide. When Antetokounmpo said that, it felt like he was simply continuing the same thought process he had used throughout his career.